Aztecs Clinch Share of MW Regular-Season Title with Senior Day Victory over SJSU

SAN DIEGO – San Diego State clinched at least a share of the 2026 Mountain West regular-season title on Sunday with a 4-1 triumph over San José State in the finale of a weekend series to highlight Senior Day festivities at Tony Gwynn Stadium.

With the victory, the Aztecs (32-20, 15-6 MW) captured their first regular-season conference crown since 2023 and will be the presumptive No. 1 seed at the Mountain West Championships, May 21-24, in Mesa, Arizona. SDSU owns a combined 8-1 record against three of the league’s other top teams, including Air Force (3-0), Nevada (3-0) and Washington State (2-1).

In addition, the Aztecs are in position to win the MW regular-season outright with just one victory in their final three-game series at UNLV, May 14-16, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

San Diego State utilized three pitchers on Sunday as Alec Belardes, Carson Johnson and Aidan Russell combined on a four-hitter with three strikeouts apiece to help the Scarlet and Black finish with a 21-6 record at home this season, matching their highest victory total at Tony Gwynn Stadium since the 2019 campaign.

Johnson and Russell were particularly effective from the fourth inning onward, retiring 16 batters in a row to end the contest. Johnson improved to 4-3 on the season after allowing just one hit and one walk in two scoreless innings, while Russell earned his fourth save of the year thanks to four spotless frames.

Eight of the Aztecs’ nine position players recorded at least one hit, including Jabin Trosky, who went 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs.

The Spartans (21-27, 8-13 MW) tallied their lone run in the first when Jake McCoy singled home Peyton Rowles, who previously reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced on a walk to Neil Jansen. However, McCoy was erased at second shortly thereafter when JC Osorio-Agard hit into another fielder’s choice to end the inning.

SDSU countered with two markers in their first at-bat to take the lead for good. Dawson Santana was struck by a pitch and ultimately scored on Trosky’s RBI single to right, while Jake Jackson walked and later crossed the plate on Adam Magpoc’s sacrifice fly to left.

San José State threatened in third after Alex Fernandes led off with a triple. However, Belardes fought himself off the proverbial ropes with strikeouts of Rowles and Jansen before inducing a flyout by McCoy.

The Aztecs capitalized on a leadoff triple of their own in the bottom of the same inning after Zach Justice went the opposite way into the right-field corner for his firsst career three-bagger before racing home on Trosky’s second RBI single of the game, giving the Scarlet and Black a 3-1 advantage.

The Spartans were poised to narrow the gap against Johnson in the fourth after Osorio-Agard was hit by a pitch and advanced to third when Matteo Mendoza reached on an infield single and subsequent throwing error. Following a strikeout of Anthony Scheppler, Rocco Caballero drew a walk to load the bases, but Johnson avoided danger when Fernandes whiffed on a 1-2 pitch, effectively ending SJSU’s hopes for the day.

SDSU closed out the scoring in the seventh when Max Farrell drilled a one-out double down the left-field line before circling the bases on another double later in the inning by Tyce Peterson, who went the opposite direction to right on a 1-2 pitch from Spartan reliever Kyle Calzadiaz.

SJSU used three hurlers as well for the game, with Dylan Smith (3-4) absorbing the loss after yielding three runs on four hits and three walks with a pair of strikeouts in four innings.

Prior to Sunday’s contest, the Aztecs held a special Senior Day ceremony, honoring their five-player class of Connor Abadie, Gage Adams, Issac Araiza, Tyce Peterson and Aidan Russell.

San Diego State, which has posted a 17-5 record since April 1, will play its final regular-season series as Mountain West members when it travels to the Silver State for a three-game set with UNLV, May 14-16,  at Earl E. Wilson Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.